Oooof, there is such a need- during pregnancy and postpartum as well. We see that need reflected in pregnancy related deaths experienced by black women in contrast to white women; racial disparities; daily experiences with racism/micro-aggressions, and different experiences within the health care system. Seeking support in the form of services, which are sensitive, caring, and effective shouldn't be another hardship for black moms.
Good fit: POC. Folks who are navigating anxiety, perfectionism, self-doubt, questions around identity/identity exploration, difficulties with relationships (familial/romantic etc). Not a good fit: People under 18. Frequent/active suicidal ideation or current self harm (I can't provide the level of support that these folks deserve).
*Paying attention to what your body is saying and telling you- grounding in physical sensations. Cortney told me a while back that we are often taught to not trust ourselves and our intuition. A way back to that is to ground in how we're feeling physically...and to what our bodies are saying. *Asking yourself, why does what I am feeling make sense? It can be helpful in validating our experiences and our emotions. A tip that goes with this, which might feel a little silly, is saying how we feel in the third person (I've done this!) and saying why you feel that way (ex:___ is feeling ____ because of ____). *If you're having a self critical thought, where you're saying to yourself "I am____" and you're really buying into that thought and feeling it deeply, using a technique to separate from it a bit can be helpful. 1st repeat to yourself "I am having the thought that I am_____" and then repeating to yourself "I am noticing that I am having the thought that I am ____"). It helps distance yourself from that thought and label the thought for what it is: a thought, not a reality.
I'm not a mom (yeeet?). I've supported mommas as an older sister and an auntie:) My little brother is 14 years younger than me so I feel like I've gotten some sense of what it is like to see a little one grow (to the extent that I could, not being his mom). And I support when I can, with my little niece.
